You’ve heard many government,
political, and media leaders declare we have a gun control problem in the
United States. Also that we have a race
relations problem. And a tolerance problem. And there are even those I would call
extremists who think we have a political correctness problem, that the very way
we all speak in the land of free speech needs to be controlled.
I will tell you the problem we
have.
We have a sin problem. Sin in its deepest definition is separation
from God. We have a falling away from
God problem. The mass of people do not
truly know God, as you no doubt know. So
many of those out there celebrating the Christmas season now do not know
God.
Those who do know the Lord Jesus
Christ truly do not rush out to kill other people just because they are
different. They do not hate others
because of their race or culture. And
they are more than willing to listen to other ideas and discuss and present the
Lord and what he said to anyone given the opportunity.
But when people do not know God
they are lost, lost, lost. They do not
know how to defend themselves against attacks of the evil one. How does he attack? In all sorts of ways, especially
deception! And people who do not know
the Lord, who do not have the gifts of the Spirit – especially discernment –
cannot tell truth from falsehood. They
are easily misled ---e.g., witness so many Americans today who do not have a
clue of what is really going on in our society and the world.
It is a sin problem. Said another way – it is an absence of God
problem. That is the problem the whole
world suffers from.
All of us who know the Lord are
called by God to do all we can to take his word and truth to others. That is in the Great Commission verses at the
end of Matthew. It is in the verses at
the end of Mark. It is fundamental. Each of us have unique gifts and unique
callings from God, but the inescapable truth is we are all called to represent
God on this earth, to demonstrate Jesus to others in our own lives, the way we
live, if in nothing else!
Be open to the leading of the
Holy Spirit. Be open to the
opportunities around you. Pray and ask
for guidance regarding any specific person or group you may find yourself
around. Ask the Lord to orchestrate your
circumstances. And in all things as you
are led, go forward to represent the Lord.
That may be in small conversations with a neighbor, or it may be in
bigger things. Just be open to the Lord.
These are terrible times we are
living in. But of course God himself is
bigger than all this. He can and will
bring about all he wishes to happen.
People in certain areas of the world are coming to Christ in large
numbers. Pray that God would orchestrate
events so that will happen in your town or city, your state, your country,
other countries. And of course be sure
to protect yourself and your family always with all that God has given us (see
our recent newsletters).
This is the season of celebrating
the Lord, God’s great gift to humankind.
Why don’t we all celebrate the Lord every day, every moment? I expect many of you already do. After all, it (everything that matters) is
all about him.
And always, keep your eyes on
Jesus. Remember, he really, really is
coming soon.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!
(December
2015)
Copyright © 2015 by John
Newlin
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